One of my favorite handheld titles of PAX East 2012 was Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, Square Enix’s first rhythm game that actually incorporates the traditional RPG elements you’d expect from a Final Fantasy title. This year marks the franchise’s 25th year anniversary, so what better way to celebrate it than to release a game that lets fans revisit their favorite titles, even if it’s just through their music.

The game I played was essentially a finished version, so I had access to all of its modes and settings. Series mode is the closest thing to a “story” the game has to offer and lets you play through every numerical Final Fantasy game from I through XIII. Your party starts out with four characters, ranging from the generic mage or warrior to more important protagonists like Squall or Lightning. Each Final Fantasy game has a set of familiar songs and three different stage styles – field, battle, and event.

While each one is a little different in how they present the notes on the screen, every stage requires you to tap your screen in tune with the music. Field stages are side-scrolling and involve tapping notes, swiping them in different directions, and holding your stylus down to follow a trail. Battle stages directly involve your characters, whose success in battle depends on your accuracy and note-tapping combos. Get enough combos and your party can summon favorites like Shiva and Ifrit to decimate bosses. Finally, event stages play out like stages in Elite Beat Agents, where notes appear on-screen while a crucial cut-scene from the original game plays.

The game’s RPG elements come into play when you finish each stage. Your final score provides experience points for your characters that can level up, get stronger, and even learn new abilities. You’ll also get presents the higher you score that your characters can equip. These items, like gloves, armor, and other Final Fantasy classics, will not only raise their attacks, but they will also give you advantages when tapping notes on the screen. For example, some items make it easier to hit a note perfectly and let you adjust their timing – think Groove Coaster.

Series mode lets you play through a game’s three stages consecutively, but if you want to just pick any song, Challenge mode lets you do so. Successful scores in each song also unlock it at higher difficulties.

The last mode I tried was Chaos Shrine Mode, which was described to me by a Square Enix rep as the game’s most challenging mode. Not only does it include 99 levels of high difficulty music, but you can also play this mode with up to three other friends. Here is where you can also unlock rare items and even more powerful party members. Some songs are only available to play in this mode as well.

I had a blast playing Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. The game was easy to pick up and unlike other rhythm games, its robust RPG elements and unlockables make it a game I can’t wait to dive into once it comes out on July 3.

What words come to mind when you hear the word Prada? Could it be fashion, luxury…chocobos? Be sure to add that last one to your list.

Square Enix has teamed up with the Italian clothing brand to turn some of its recent characters into fashion models. Characters from Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 games such as Lightning, Snow, and Sazh will showcase Prada’s 2012 Spring and Summer men’s collection in the next issue of Arena Homme+ fashion magazine.

“I’ve always been interested by the power of videogames and their place in society, and the amount of work that’s gone into this project blows my mind,” editor of Arena Homme+ Max Pearmain said. “We’re incredibly pleased with the result.”

The character models were developed by Square Enix’s world leading Visual Works studio in Japan. They will be featured in a 12-page spread in the magazine out April 12.

The Final Fantasy series has been around for a long time and has spawn several hit titles since its very first eponymous game back  in 1987. This year marks its 25th anniversary as well as the release of its first ever rhythm game: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy brings “more than 70 musical scores spanning 25 years.” The game is a hybrid RPG with music game elements and will have players tapping their 3DS screens to the beat of classic tunes. The game has already been met with favorable reviews in Japan and will make its way to western shores this summer.

LOS ANGELES — At E3 this year, we were given a special treat from Square, the makers of the hugely popular, long-running Final Fantasy series: a (mostly) technical demo of their newest entry into the franchise, Final Fantasy XIV. Like XI, this installment will be an MMORPG, so giving much of an in-depth demo beyond the graphics wasn’t too feasible with the time constraints of E3.

The demo was set up with NVidia’s 3D display system (support for which may or may not make it to the end user), and once we got used to wearing the glasses, we were blown away. In the town setting of the demo, we were able to look out into the distance or view objects up close, and we could even distinguish between individual blades of grass and flowers that you can even watch grow from all different angles. The lighting, too, was impressive: the sun leaves varying degrees of shadow from different objects, and going from outside to inside, or vice versa, causes the camera to mimic the adjustments your eyes would have to make in the real world, refocusing to the light level.

Character models are exceptionally detailed and animated, too, as evidenced by a non-player character inside one of the buildings cooking food: you can see individual items of food being tossed as he cooks, leaving a surreal, Uncanny Valley-reminiscent sensation at how lifelike his actions were. NPCs are even rendered at much greater distances than similar games, allowing one to feel really immersed in their surroundings, and will certainly lead to a feeling of being in a densely populater area when there are lots of people around. If you look off into the distance, for example, you might see little specks moving around the terrain; these are actual characters, instead of having flat backgrounds with objects that only load when you get within a few feet of them.

After allowing us to wander around their town, all the people demoing were joined into a party to go on a simple quest to kill two crab-like creatures. Where the quest system shines is in the reactive nature of different elements of the task at hand: for example, after killing one crab, the other escapes and finds another to help fight back, and the quest changes and we then had to kill three crabs instead of the original two. This process can repeat, and a simple quest to kill a creature or two can grow into a more epic battle.

It’s still too early to tell how the latest foray into the world of Final Fantasy will turn out, but this early glimpse is promising. If you were a fan of XI, this could be just what you’re waiting for, but it’ll be quite a feat to take some of the market share from World of Warcraft.

Remakes in the movie, television and video game industries are very common, but they are often unsuccessful. Did you know that ABC Family is making a “10 Things I Hate About You” sitcom?

“The Italian Job?” Great. “Godzilla?” Terrible. What about “Psycho?”

The trend follows in video games. Prince of Persia and the Final Fantasy III remake on the DS were epic successes. But pretty much every attempt to recapture the addiction we found in Contra has been an epic failure.

Here’s, in no particular order, a list of Five NES games that haven’t — but should — be remade in the modern era:

The Adventures of Bayou Billy – Konami, 1989

An absurdly difficult game, but so ahead of its time. The Adventures of Bayou Billy featured shooting, fighting and driving.

And some of the most catchy music and SFX of its era.

Billy hasn’t been since his 1989 debut.

Kung Fu – Irem, 1985

How many times can you save Sylvia?

The game that never ends saw a sequel in Japan but nothing in the modern era and nothing in US since it came out in 1985.

Bubble Bubble – Taito, 1988

The Bubble Dragons Bub and Bob journey to the Cave of Monsters to rescue their girls from the evil Grumple Gromit.

Why haven’t we seen this since? Bubble Bubble is easily an NES top 20.

Crystalis – SNK, 1990

Crystalis did have a port made on the GBC in 2000, but now that it’s been 20 years since this top-down RPG was released, we should get to experience it all over again.

The game has great elements of post-apocalyptic and cyberpunk. It’s a sleeper in a world of Final Fantasy and even, at its time, the Phantasy Star series on the Sega platforms.

Faxanadu – Falcom, 1989

Faxanadu is an obscure little title from the late 1980s.

In Faxanadu, you return the Elven castle town of Eolis after many years to find it a near ghost town. Meteors have fallen to Earth, bringing “The Evil One” with them. It’s up to you to destroy evil.

Very similar feeling to Zelda II.

What did I miss? Leave comments!

Final Fantasy 1 and 2 are on their way to Apple’s App Store and iPhones and iPod Touchs everywhere.

Coming soon to an iPhone/iPod Touch near you

A less than twenty-word briefing from Square Enix, posted on Facebook of all places, outed the project today, and only offered a baby-sized handful of information.

This is what Squenix had to say:

“Over 20 years since the original releases, FINAL FANTASY and FINAL FANTASY II are coming to iPhone / iPod touch!”

The release date for both games is TBD, but we’ll assuredly be watching this one with two diligent eyes.

Source: Square Enix Facebook

Square Enix released a new trailer in PAL regions for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers today and it’s jam-packed with all sorts of happenings.

It’s surely not the Final Fantasy we all grew up on (provided you’re not a somehow able to read newborn), but it looks stellar nonetheless.

Women in bikinis, gorgeous landscapes, tongs of action, and great sound add together to make this my favorite trailer for the game to date. What about you?

Source: Kotaku

Nintendo, in their usual weekly pattern, released new games onto their three-fold digital download service today, but really, all the attention is on one of them.

Final Fantasy, the original NES title from Square Enix, hit the Virtual Console this morning. Priced at 500 Wii Points and an undefinable nostalgic value, this one will likely fly off the digital shelves of the Wii Shop.

Falling in the shadows of Final Fantasy are‚  Thorium Wars (1,000 DSi Points) on DSiWare. This first and third-person shooter for the portable comes from developer Big John Games and pits you against waves of attacking Thorians.

Additionally, Word Searcher (500 Wii Points) on WiiWare comes from game-maker Digital Leisures, and is pretty much what it sounds like. A word search game with 100 themed puzzles for your continued enjoyment. Personally, I’ve always despised word searches. We had timed contests in elementary school and I like to take my time. Needless to say, it didn’t go well.

Have a look at the official game descriptions below, courtesy of Nintendo.

FINAL FANTASY
Original platform: NES
Publisher: SQUARE ENIX
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points¢â€ž¢
Description: The world lies shrouded in darkness. The winds die. The sea rages. The earth decays. But the people believe in a prophecy, patiently awaiting its fulfillment. “When darkness veils the earth, four Warriors of Light shall come….” After a long journey, four young travelers did at last appear, and in the hand of each was clutched a crystal.

Nintendo DSiWare

Thorium Wars
Publisher: Big John Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In Thorium Wars, you must stop the Thorions, a super species of Thorium-based machines, from destroying mankind. Blast through waves of Thorions by controlling an arsenal of tanks, skyfighters, hovercrafts, gunboats and starfighters with either the standard or touch-screen controls. In 12 exciting missions, navigate through a variety of combat environments while viewing 360 degrees of the battlefield, fully rendered in 3-D. Toggle between first- and third-person views to destroy the terrifying army of Thorium beasts, from swarms of Redeye Drones to the bone-crushing Manticore Walker. This man-versus-machine battle proves to be the ultimate test for the survival of the fittest.

WiiWare

Word Searcher
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: You’ll need a sharp eye and a quick mind to complete 100 themed word-search puzzles. Word Searcher contains fun words from multiple categories including anatomy, world cities and U.S. presidents. With a huge assortment of subjects to choose from, there’s sure to be a puzzle for everyone to enjoy. Help improve your vocabulary, memory and problem-solving skills with these engaging puzzles. Track and try to beat your own play-through times again and again-words are scrambled every time you play.

Dissidia is the culmination of the first ten Final Fantasy main series games. Rather than in a straight up RPG, like the Tales series has done with its universe-blending titles, Square Enix united its main characters and villains from the Final Fantasy series in one RPG/fighting game. Cosmos, goddess of harmony, and Chaos, god of discord, are waging a war for control of the universe. The balance tips in Chaos’s favor when he summons villains from throughout the Final Fantasy universes to aid him in his quest to defeat Cosmos. In retaliation, Cosmos summons the heroes to defend her and help her vanquish Chaos. As many heroes are killed, the warriors are brought to the brink and Chaos his final assault. ‚ It’s up to the heroes to band together and defeat Chaos.

Story mode focuses on the ten heroes fighting for Cosmos. Each player has their own unique storyline which plays out as you progress through the game. Each character’s arc is a piece of the larger story, so the game requires you to play through the battles with each character. It can get a bit tedious, but the antagonist section “Shadow Impulse” definitely makes the Story mode worth playing. These chapters let the story of the war between Chaos and Cosmos unfold naturally, without cramming too much into a few cut scenes. ‚ Story mode not your thing? That’s fine. If you’re just looking for a quick fight, the Arcade and Quick Battle modes allow for quick one on one battles with the computer. Communications mode allows you to fight friends using the PSP’s Ad Hoc wireless system. Additional levels can be unlocked for an expanded game play experience.

The fighting system of the game is fantastically designed. The 3D arena allows fighters to go head to head while using the arena itself to enhance the experience. During the fights, timing is everything. You need to be able to block and evade the attacks while launching counter attacks as quickly as possible to get the upper hand. During the battle, you rely on your HP and Bravery Points. Using Bravery attacks allows you to steal your opponent’s Bravery and then use a Limit Break to launch an attack that will decimate your opponent using the accumulated Bravery Points. This brings a level of balance to the fight which is reminiscent of the fighting systems of the original games. The coolest aspect? When you fight, you can glide across walls and fly across the arena in order clash against your opponent with very cool special effects.

Which brings us to graphics. Graphics wise, Dissidia is on par with Crisis Core and in some ways exceeds it. The special attacks are presented in a fantastically colorful and creative manner. When your character slides across mako energy streams, the graphics sleekly show the character glide through the air as if it was natural. Sometimes when executing special moves, the graphics can lag a little, but this isn’t a major detractor from the game. When the graphics are coupled with the RPG element, you are given a truly fantastic experience.

One of the best aspects of the game is customization options. Armor, weapons and accessories help customize the characters and boost your fighting stats. One of the highlights for me was being able to unlock Squall’s Cadet uniform and Cloud’s Advent Children costume. The customization is optimized by Dissidia’s character play styles. Each character has their own fighting style which makes playing each fighter a unique experience. Each fighter is forced to face off against their nemesis in a final epic showdown which will help guide their story arc. While most fans will recognize that the pairings make sense, some will obviously point out the Jecht wasn’t Tidus’ main villain (but then again Tidus was about as real as the spoon in the Matrix, so we can disregard that small issue).

As a Final Fantasy fanboy, this game delivers on all fronts. As a fighting game fanatic, this game holds up to some of my toughest criticisms. The game is an experience, with a lot of unlockable content and beautiful graphics. The story comes together in a good way that can satisfy the diehard fans but could leaves something more to be desired. There is a secondary card battle system which players may want to explore for additional fun, but multiplayer is definitely where the game shines. Points accumulated throughout the game (fighting and card game) allow you to unlock the numerous bonus features (including two hidden characters that fans will be happy to unlock). When you go head to head with your friends, it’s a fun way to see who is better at coordinating themselves within the arena. My advice is to train on the highest difficulty level in order to train your reflexes during the harsh battles. Playing on difficult is incredibly brutal, but rewarding when you fight on normal and can easily block and counter your opponent’s moves.

While this game is fantastic, there are some points where it disappoints. Like most Japanese to English games, sometimes it is very apparent where the lip moves are not in sync with the voice track. This is no big deal, but it’s a little issue that can take away from the experience. While the roster is strong, the new story doesn’t give the characters the depth their original games did. In this respect, new comers may not appreciate the full scope of the characters and think that they are not as fully developed. The scheduling system for the game could be a bit of a turn off from casual players, but it isn’t a major feature if you’re just looking to fight.

Blast Factor: This game helps unite all the Final Fantasy games in one spectacular game.‚  The pinnacle is definitely the head to head fighting between each game’s hero and villain. Those battles alone are the realization of the final battles from each and every Final Fantasy game and beautifully remind diehards why they fell in love with the games in the first place (and continuously email Square Enix to remake certain chapters for the new consoles – *cough* Final Fantasy VII *cough*). This is a fantastic game and definitely one PSP owners should have. For a compelling story and an excellent fighting experience, check out Final Fantasy Dissidia. You’ll spend hours exploring this game fully and won’t want it to end. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go play some more.

Countdowns seem to be more and more popular these days as a way to announce a game–well, popular with publishers anyways, as most fans cannot bear to sit there and wait for the timer to end–but at least we still have old media there to spoil the party. Eventually a copy of a magazine gets into the hands of someone with a scanner, and then the entire Internet knows what is planned before the countdown finishes. Things were no different for Square Enix’s latest teaser countdown, which first showed a sketch of a farm and bridge with the number “4″, then a dragon, then a boy riding a dragon, then a girl alongside him. As you can guess, this was pretty ambiguous, and there were plenty of opinions out there as to what it may be.

With the music sounding as old-school as it did, I figured it was going to be something retro in a way, maybe a new entry into the Final Fantasy Legend series, or at least some kind of spiritual successor. What we found out thanks to leaked scans of Shonen Jump was that Square Enix will be releasing Four Warriors of Light: Final Fantasy Gaiden for the Nintendo DS in Japan. Based on the brand’s power, I think it’s safe to assume this will also hit North American shores. This indeed does sound like a return to roots for the Final Fantasy series, although there are some changes. There are no magic points apparently, and one of the menu options is “Charge”, but it is menu-based, and your goal is even something as simple as saving a princess. We’ll have more details as they come out, but for now, you can enjoy the tunes and neat looking sketches on the teaser site.

Square Enix announced today that Final Fantasy XIII is currently on schedule for a spring 2010 release in North American on Xbox 360.

There, I said it.‚  If you want to guess at how many times Squenix will delay it before that date go right ahead, as you’re probably right, but for now, enjoy (possibly) enjoying the latest Final Fantasy next spring.

Square Enix, creators of the famed Final Fantasy franchise, playing off of their exciting GDC announcements, kept the train rolling today as the Japanese video game company launched a teaser website for their long sought after title, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers.

If you somehow got your hands on the Japanese version of Echoes of Time, you’ve already seen this trailer, but for everyone else the video is brand new and may replenish any hope you had lost for the title.

In addition to the trailer, the website houses the wallpaper you see in our gallery, as well as two unclickable sections phrased as “It’s Gonna Be a Long Night,” and “Public Spectacle,” with “More Visits, More Movies” flashing in the background.

There you have it Final Fantasy fans, visit the page often and tell your friends, and soon enough Square Enix will unload some new and hopefully game-play rich videos.

The Crystal Bearers was first announced in 2005 at E3 and Square Enix has denied rumors of a quiet cancellation, and while there is no definitive release schedule, the advent of the website bodes well for Wii owners hoping to finally play this title.

Head on over to the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers website to start the frenzy.

As we reported last week Nintendo dropped some heavy details on the future of the company for the next year and beyond. ‚ A brand new portable Zelda title was unveiled; the long sought after Wii storage issue was resolved and, and much to the delight of a certain gaming contingency, an announcement regarding a slew of Final Fantasy titles, both old and new would soon be popping up via the Wii Shop Channel was made.

The three titles announced by Square Enix are “Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles My Life as a Dark Lord” which will be joined on WiiWare by “Final Fantasy IV: The After Years,” as well as the original “Final Fantasy” on the Virtual Console.

Wondering how these new titles will look?‚  Check out our gallery for exclusive screens from the three Square Enix games.

As we reported earlier today, a slew of Final Fantasy titles will make their way onto WiiWare and the Virtual Console later this year bringing a mix of old and new to Nintendo’s popular download service.

While the original announcement came from Nintendo President Satoru Iwata’s mouth earlier this morning, Square Enix made it official today announcing “Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles My Life as a Dark Lord” joined on WiiWare by “Final Fantasy IV: The After Years”, a port of the sequel released and exclusive to Japanese cell phones that was downloaded over 3 million times.

In addition, fans of the series can rejoice over the addition of the original “Final Fantasy” to the Virtual Console sometime in 2009.

There was a time when Dragon Quest games would be compared to Final Fantasy games, as each series was the flagship of its company-Enix and Square, respectively. Those days are gone, as they have since joined forces to become the Square Enix many know and love today, but with the remakes of various classics from both companies past coming back to retail, some of the comparisons can start again.

For example, Square Enix recently released a 3D remake of Final Fantasy IV, originally a 16-bit Super Nintendo classic that was built using an engine meant for the original NES. Because of this, the game was nowhere near as impressive visually as either of its FF successors. They added voice work, cut scenes, and a CG intro to the Nintendo DS version that incredibly made one of the greatest RPGs of all time an even better experience.

While FF has always been about pushing hardware and innovation, Dragon Quest has been more interested in staying old-school, and the recently released Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen is no exception. Originally released as Dragon Warrior IV on Super NES here in North America, the graphics have been given a new coat of paint reminiscent of the original Playstation remake, and the localization has been revamped, but other than that it’s a bare bones affair (as far as improvements go) that plays like it was released in the distant past-and to be fair, it was.

Just because Square Enix didn’t go the extra mile with this gem does not mean that it’s a bad effort, though. The original game was innovative at the time, with four distinct chapters preceding the final-and longest-one. These four chapters are meant to introduce you to the characters that will assist the Hero (or Heroine, as you’re given a choice when you start your journey) one at a time, until you complete the four and start a new quest with the Hero you picked and named a dozen hours beforehand. This system is still refreshing today, but if you are not into level grinding, then it may be somewhat of a turnoff for you.

Equipment in Dragon Quest games is always expensive, and this game follows that tactic. The thing is, you need excellent equipment and a high level to take on the enemies, as you are not able to instantly revive fallen companions on the field for quite some time, and you will be ambushed by a screen full of characters thanks to the random battle mechanic. You will have to go through a level grind period four separate times in order to beef up your characters for their respective chapters, but thankfully, when you hit the final one, they are already leveled up thanks to your earlier work.

Battles themselves play out like most turn-based RPGs, with your standard set of “Fight”, “Magic”, and “Item” commands. You cannot select which enemy you are attacking, but you instead choose a group. Your AI companions are pretty good about picking the same enemy as you for the most part, and throughout most of the game you will not be one-shot killing the opposition, so that’s a good thing.

When you die in battle, you return to your last save point, retaining all of your experience and items collected since last time you saved, but you will lose half of your current gold supply.

The bank feature seen in more recent DQ outings is nonexistent, though there is an item you can collect that will allow you to avoid losing gold entirely upon dying. Until that time though, you might want to wade in the shallow end of the pool until you are sufficiently leveled.

‚ 

As for the story, your nameless Hero is the Chosen One, and only he and his Chosen companions have the ability to defeat the evil power that threatens existence and the world you live in. You’ve heard this yarn spun a thousand times over since the time of DQ’s original release, but if you’re playing an old-school RPG for story, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Nowadays, you need a story and a nifty battle mechanic to hook fans to an RPG, but back in the old country, we couldn’t afford to have both at the same time. Know going in that while this story is better than the DQ games that came before it-especially with the chapters game mechanic-it is nowhere near what you dealt with in more recent Dragon Quest outings.

Your characters are sprite-based, and it’s a good look for the game. Nothing in particular stands out as impressive visually, though Akira Toriyama’s character designs continue to improve, looking less and less like his work with Dragon Ball Z.

The menus are as simple as can be, both to use and to look at-this is only a disappointment in battle, as the battles could have run on the top screen with touch screen menus on the bottom, but instead, Hit Points and other battle stats are tracked on a plain looking menu up top. The lone change in that screen comes with the time of day in-game, as it will reflect what time the battle started, be it day, dusk or night. Overall, the lack of stylus integration is somewhat disappointing, but in a way it would feel out of place in a game that strives so much to retain its classic, old-school charm.

As for the sound and music, both are cut from the mold of DQ releases past and present. Dragon Quest, unlike Final Fantasy, reuses and recycles many of the songs and sounds of its past, which in a way, helps to perpetuate the idea of a Draqon Quest universe and style. Luckily, these sounds and tunes are top-notch, as Koichi Sugiyami has once again done an excellent job with his work. The soundtrack from the original DQIV is a classic anyways, as the orchestral version of these songs was released as a soundtrack, and is considered one of the best in gaming history. A

long with quality sound, the localization work is superb, and may be the best part of the remake. There are various dialects depending on region-you will travel to an area that sounds like Russia, as well as locales that evocative of Scotland and Ireland. It makes the dialogue of NPC’s fun to read, and helps to give some of your characters more of an identity.

Here we have a game that is easily the cream of the classic Dragon Quest crop, remade to be a more impressive looking 2D, sprite-based outing than it was initially. It’s a different angle than the one Square Enix used for that other number IV, but that’s intentional, as even DQ’s modern, 3D outings such as the eighth entry in the series scream old-school and hardcore. If you aren’t into the turn-based, level grinding scene, this game is not for you, but if you’re up for a trip down memory lane-or have never experienced DQIV in the past-this game is worth your time.

Talk about playing to your base. The 2004 Gameboy Advance title Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is being remade for PlayStation 2 (note: not updated for PlayStation 3) and will be released December 2.

Kingdom Hearts games were massive successes on PlayStation 2 in 2002 and 2006 when the game and its sequel were originally released. Chain of Memories should build on that, despite the fact that it was a mediocre GBA game and is not coming out with all the bells and whistles of PlayStation 3.

Game summary:

Sora, Donald and Goofy travel down a long road that meanders through endless fields, and come to a crossroads. As Sora stands in the crossroads, he gazes up at the night sky and thinks of his lost friends.

Just then, a mysterious man approaches from down one of the branching paths. “Ahead lies something you need,” he says, “but to claim it, you must lose something dear.” The man vanishes before a single path, leading to a castle that eerily resembles a girl’s drawing…

In the coming journey, what will Sora and his companions gain, and what will they lose?

Game features:

• World-renowned creator and character designer Tetsuya Nomura and his team once again unite the magical world of Disney with the characters of Final Fantasy, inviting fans to an enchanting gaming experience
• An essential piece in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, which has shipped over 12 million units across the globe, comes to North America at long last
• In addition to Sora, players can control Riku in this adventure that bridges the gap between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II.
• A full 3D remake of the original GBA release, Chain of Memories offers a refreshing rendition of the hit title for the PlayStation 2 system
• The talented voice cast from the North American releases of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, including David Gallagher and Haley Joel Osment
• The mini-game catalog has been completely renewed, now with four brand new experiences accompanying the main adventure

“Memories” is expected to cost $29.99. It joins‚ Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days that is due out for the Nintendo DS later this year.

Square Enix announced recently that it is putting together a new style of modern action-RPG for the Nintendo DS. The World Ends With You will hit shelves April 22.

The story begins as Neku Sakuraba, an unsociable 15-year-old boy, unexpectedly wakes up in the Shibuya shopping district of Tokyo, Japan. While trying to piece together his rude awakening, he receives a strange text message warning him that he will cease to exist unless he accomplishes a certain mission. Although he barely has time to grasp what is happening to him, he commences his assigned task in the mysterious streets of Shibuya.

“The World Ends With You is a cutting-edge, fast-paced adventure that takes full advantage of Nintendo DS functionality,” said John Yamamoto, president and CEO of Square Enix. “Square Enix is excited to bring an RPG set in modern times and real-life locations to gamers of all ages and abilities.”

The game will be anime-style set in modern day Tokyo.

Game features:

• Distinctive modern art style created by a team of artists led by Tetsuya Nomura, world-renowned character designer of the upcoming Fabula Nova Crystallis project which includes Final Fantasy XIII amd FF Versis XIII
• Innovative Stride-Cross Battle System allows players to control two characters simultaneously, unleashing special attacks with the stylus
• Collect a vast array of custom-designed pins, each with a powerful psychic ability that can be activated with the right touch or sound command
• Customize characters with Shibuya’s coolest fashions and exchange items with other players via Mingle Mode
• Experience an amazing soundtrack combining a fusion of musical influences from hip-hop to rock to electronica
• Battle with up to three friends in Tin Pin Slammer, an exciting and fast-paced mini-game, via local wireless connection

“World” will be available for $39.99.